Pakistan Bans Public Gatherings In Islamabad 'PTI March'

Pakistani authorities have banned public gatherings in Islamabad for two months ahead of a march planned by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's political party to the capital.

The Islamabad administration, in an order on Wednesday, said that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code had been imposed, prohibiting gatherings of five or more people, processions, rallies and demonstrations across the federal capital, including the high-security Red Zone.

The development comes after Islamabad Additional District



Magistrate Anam Fatima issued an order on September 18, stating that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code had been enforced with immediate effect and "shall remain in force for a period of two months." The move comes as Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepares for a long march to Islamabad on September 27, primarily demanding the release of the party founder, who has been incarcerated in connection with multiple cases since 2023. 

The leaders of Khan's PTI party said the protest would also demand constitutional supremacy and the rule of law.